


Goodbye and Good Luck

by Desparado



Series: April Song Challenge [9]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Gen, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-11
Updated: 2020-05-11
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:47:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24129166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Desparado/pseuds/Desparado
Summary: With the help of your friends, you learn to love yourself and move on after a bad breakup. And when a surprise encounter occurs, you realise you are stronger than you think.April Writing Challenge Day 9 – Hope (by Chainsmokers feat. Winona Oak)
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Reader
Series: April Song Challenge [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1740901
Kudos: 18





	Goodbye and Good Luck

**Author's Note:**

> I created myself a little writing challenge for April. The challenge is a new song each day (Thanks to shuffling my iTunes library) to inspire a fic of some kind. I’ll listen to the song a few times, and then plan like mad when the inspiration hits. 
> 
> ** I dedicate this fic to anyone who has experienced a shitty relationship and has/is/or are yet to relearn how to love themselves afterwards, y’all are my heroes xxx
> 
> Enhanced!Reader (and mentioned ex partner) have gender neutral pronouns
> 
> Warnings: Mentions of Gaslighting; Abusive partner; swearing; angst; happy ending

Eight months ago, you were crying into your pillow and refusing to leave your room. You hated it. You hated how it felt after you found out your ex was cheating, how they took you for granted and laughed when you said you were leaving. “You won’t make it a week without me!” They shouted as you stormed out of the apartment. You desperately wanted to have some sort of witty comeback, or maybe act out in revenge, but looking back now, you were glad you didn’t. Better things were coming for you.  
Two months after that you were travelling the world and was wandering through a market in Luxembourg when you heard a shout from nearby. A man carrying a black package was being pursued and you could tell he wasn’t a ‘good guy’. Throwing boxes behind him, pushing people, his pursuer was struggling to catch up and you wanted to help. Just as you raised your hands, a familiar voice echoed in your ears, “I wouldn’t do that, you wouldn’t want people to know you were a freak, would you?” Your ex’s voice taunted you and you hesitated. The man was escaping and his chaser was calling for backup in his earpiece. You clenched your jaw and stiffened your posture as the chase came towards you. ‘I’m not a freak’ you mumbled, as you took a breath and raised your hands again. The static feeling built up in your chest like a comforting buzz and you directed a shockwave into the man with the package. He was stunned, limbs flailing from the flow of electricity, and then he threw the package in the air as he fell. Just as the pursuer arrived, you managed to grab the package before it hit the floor. Looking up, you found yourself face to face with Falcon- An avenger(!)- as he smiled at you, astounded. He took package from you and held out his hand for you to shake, “Damn that was impressive! Who are you?” Before you could respond, another man came running over. Recognising him anywhere, you heart fluttered when you stood before Captain America. “What happened?” He asked, aiming the question at his friend. Falcon only smiled, keeping eye contact with you,  
“I think we just found ourselves a new recruit.”

Over the following 6 months, you experienced a whirlwind of emotions. You felt empowered from your newfound skills, learning how to control them far more than you ever thought possible, and you began to relearn how to love yourself. You made friends with Falcon (but could now call him Sam) and also met Wanda and Vision. The three of them helped you realise how stunted you were previously in life and how much potential you never knew you had. It didn’t come without its relapses of course. You found out your ex was in another relationship- with the person they cheated on you with- and you spent many whiskey-fuelled nights wanting to text them as Wanda gave you a million reasons not to.  
Eventually you threw yourself back into training with the help of Captain Rogers. It felt weird calling him Steve but he would always insist with that captivating smile of his. During sessions, he was patient with you and didn’t roll his eyes when you had to explain why you were in the gym at 3am. Instead he offered his support and gave you some exercises to help with energy levels. In fact, as the months went on, your friendship with the Captain blossomed and soon you were training together and calling him Steve (much to his relief). Your new friends provided you with love and support that you hadn’t known before. They never told you what to do, they never belittled you regarding your powers and they never made you feel like you were worthless without them. 

And here you were, at a huge gala for Tony Stark’s global green energy plan. You really, really didn’t want to go, but he begged you all to come for ‘superhero support’ and to be dressed to impress. You arrived with Sam, who kept using tragic pickup lines to make you smile and stuck to him like glue as you walked into the swarm of people. “Ah watch the static, y/n!” Sam told you, jumping slightly as you accidentally shocked him.  
“I’m sorry Sam, it’s just…”  
“You’d rather be in a gun fight?” He enquired, laughing.  
“Yes, that would be much calmer!” You replied, smiling at the thought. He placed a hand on your shoulder and squeezed it slightly before walking you over to Wanda and Vision. Hugging them both, you couldn’t help but glance around the room. Millionaires, billionaires, celebrities, CEOs, global leaders… all here to show their faces and their cash to the cause. “I feel so wildly out of place.” Sam stated, Wanda hummed in agreement.  
“It’ll be over quickly,” You began folding your arms and standing in between them. “The appetisers have just come out, so we have around an hour until the speeches. They’ll be about 10 minutes each and I’m assuming it’ll be Stark then maybe 2 or 3 more people, so let’s say another half hour. Then from there it’s just rich people stroking each other’s egos for 15 minutes before dinner.” It took you a while to notice your three companions staring at you, eyes wide. You shrugged, “What?”  
“Are we missing a vital piece of backstory you failed to mention to us, y/n?” Sam replied, chuckling as he spoke. You flicked your gaze to the floor,  
“I’ve, er, been to a few of these before… and I was hoping I wouldn’t come to another one again.” Sighing deeply, you looked at Sam then Wanda. They both in turn smiled at you and overlooked the crowd as you did. Vision disappeared for a minute and then returned with glasses of champagne, “I believe after a revelation it is customary to drink an alcoholic beverage?” He offered a glass to each of you.  
“Vis that is the smartest thing you’ve said all day!” You declared. 

After the speeches- Tony and two other guests, as you rightly predicted- your little ‘Avengers section’ grew as Steve and Nat joined you after speaking with several military personnel who were present. Then Tony came over and thanked you all for coming, offering a glass of champagne each as he made a small toast to the team. Putting your empty glass on the waiter’s tray, you caught glimpse of something in the corner of your eye and looked over. A shiver ran up your spine and you felt sick to your stomach as you saw your ex chatting away with one of the guest speakers. “Oh fuck.” You mumbled, a little too loudly.  
“What?” Wanda’s voice came from your side. You pulled her into you and tilted her head in the right direction. “Oh fuck.” She whispered. You couldn’t help but watch as they mingled with the elite, using their charms and clever jokes to earn laughs. You remembered when they did that to you: compliments on your looks rather than your achievements, showing you off to their rich friends. How they made you feel like an outsider, you would often lose control and cause a power cut when they went out with friends, you’d get wrapped up in visions of them charming others and prayed you’d get the control back when they came home. But you realised now that you never had it. They never gave you control of anything; it was just an illusion.  
You felt a hand on your shoulder, pulling you back to reality, and looked up at Steve, his eyes staring into yours, a thin smile on his lips, “You okay?”  
“Yeah.” You lied, offering him a meek smile in return.  
“Why the hell is your ex here?” Sam asked afterwards, causing you squeeze your eyes shut and quickly open them again. You looked at him from over your shoulder just as he was hit by Wanda, “Their dad is a big-league banker, invests millions into tech and energy companies.” You stated monotonously, waiting for the inevitable impressed sounds. Instead Sam snorted, “Trust fund baby huh? Is that why they’re such a dick?” You couldn’t help but laugh, feeling a genuine smile on your lips as you looked back at Steve. He was smiling too and it sent a warm rush to your arms.  
“Hey Mr Stark!” You heard a shout from ahead of you. Without looking, you knew instantly who it was. Steve noticed your panicked expression, leaning into you, “Wanna leave?”  
“No. I’m not running away from them anymore.” You held your head high and turned back to engage in a conversation with Wanda and Vision, explaining to Vis the social rules at an event like this as he stared at you blankly. As you spoke you could hear your ex chatting away to Tony as your friend offered vague and often blunt replies. Tony didn’t know who he was, which was refreshing when it proved how boring your ex really was. Smiling at the thought, you were caught off guard at a witty remark Vision made which caused you to throw your head back and laugh. Suddenly, you heard your name being called. “Y/n is that you? Wow, I haven’t seen you in so long!” Your ex moved away from Tony and came closer to you, using their charming smile. “How are you doing?” They asked politely. You shrugged your shoulders,  
“I’m doing fine.” You replied just as courteously. They smiled again and nodded,  
“I can see, you look fantastic tonight, darling.” Ah the compliments begin. Your spine tingled and you realised it wasn’t attraction, it was disgust. Straightening your posture, you looked them in the eye, “No partner tonight then?” They grimaced at your response, annoyed you didn’t swoon, but the grimace quickly melted away into another grin, “Actually, we’re not together anymore. I realised it wasn’t what I wanted.” They tried to move closer again, you felt your spine wanting to collapse, to shrink yourself in their presence; is that what you did all that time? Make yourself smaller for them? Did you always feel so high around them because they had you so low? You took a breath, “I see, well I’m sure there must be someone out there who’ll have you.” You offered, still trying to be polite. You heard Wanda choke slightly on her drink behind you, knowing she was listening in. Your ex’s smile faltered for a moment, unsure how to continue the conversation. You decided for them, “Well at this point I would say ‘it’s nice to see you’ but that would be a lie; so instead I’ll say, ‘Goodbye and good luck for the future’.” You turned to walk over to where Sam was chatting with Steve when you felt a grasp on your arm. Looking back, you almost pitied the desperate look on your ex’s face, “You’re telling me you don’t feel it still? The magic we had? You don’t miss me at all?” They softened their grasp in a bid to bring you to them. Instead you yanked your arm away. “There was no magic.” You hissed, leaning towards them enough to keep your voice down. “I see you and I feel nothing but remorse for the time I wasted with you. No, I don’t miss you and for the first time in months I finally realised,” You took a deep breath as they stared at you, mouth open. “That I only wanted you because I couldn’t have you. It wasn’t love- it was hope.”

Not waiting for a reply, you walked away briskly towards the doors leading to the garden. Head held high but your chest was burning. You controlled your breathing to stop your powers from escaping as you made it outside. Not stopping, you skipped down the steps and headed to the huge stone fountain. There you dipped your hands in the water and allowed a shockwave to flow through you as the tears did. Your chest heaved as you finally let out your emotions, but you weren’t crying out of sadness; it was joy. Relief. You had finally said all you wanted to say and the closure was more invigorating than any gunfight.  
Just as you had recovered, someone called your name. Slowly turning your head, you were relieved to see it was Steve, as he came to meet you by the fountain. “Hey,” he said softly, his hand lightly touching your arm, “You good?” You smiled warmly at him, flicking your hands dry.  
“Actually Steve, I’m the best I’ve felt in years.” He beamed at you; a grin too contagious to ignore.  
“I’m glad to hear it! I also hear you knocked ‘em dead, so to speak.”  
“Let me guess, Wanda?” Your guess caused Steve to chuckle.  
“She watched them leave awkwardly then began singing your praises to everyone.” He moved closer so you were shoulder to shoulder as you turned away from the fountain and stared at the huge building, two drunk guests were stumbling down the steps and ran towards some hedges. You could feel a warmth seep into your skin from where you two touched. The pressure from his arm was firm but light, almost comforting. The only sounds around you were the light splashing of the fountain, and the quiet hum of music. After enjoying the silence together, Steve exhaled slowly and turned to look at you, “I guess we should head back for dinner.” You nodded and sighed then walked alongside him towards the door. When you got there, you stopped and turned to him, “Thanks for coming for me, you didn’t have to.”  
“No problem, and I wanted to.” He smiled. Feeling brave, you held his cheek lightly and winked, before walking in first. You didn’t hear the shaky sigh Steve gave out, nor did you see the way he pressed his fingers to his cheek to caress the space your hand had just been.


End file.
